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Centre Parcs V Butlins.

I love Centre Parcs for its peacefulness, tranquility and for how beautiful it is. I love the Sub-tropical Swimming Paradise, a nighttime swim in the outdoor pool in february is just the best, and walking through the woods, breathing in the fresh air is just ace. The spa makes me feel like a million dollars and when it snows it's magical.

I love Butlins for it's hussle and bussle, for the kids running riot and the evening entertainment. I love the low-cost food (compared to CP) and the friendliness of the Redcoats. Having a meal package option is fantastic and I find the food choices brilliant.

So as a married couple without children my hubby and I would chose CP for its tranquility and the swimming pool, but book Butlins for the evening entertainment and the dinner package. Give me a Butlins holiday park with the Sub-Tropical Swimming Paradise of Centre Parcs and maybe the poshness of one of their resturants, say the Rouge, and we'd never go to CP again.

Nice to see there are one or two of us who like both CP and Butlins and can appreciate both for their own (very different) merits. I too love CP for the tranquility and also for the animals, but I also love Butlins for opposite reasons - which to me is a lively, wacky, fun-loving place. Sometimes I'm up for a quiet relaxing break at CP, whilst at other times I might be in a party mood and an adult weekender at Butlins is just the tonic. I see far too many CP "fans" slagging off people who go to Butlins and vice versa, but to me - a fun-loving person who also loves woodland and tranquility - I'm happy to go to either, though I only do adult weekenders at Butlins and am happy to support the fact they acknowledge adults exist, which unfortunately CP don't.

I mentioned on here in another thread some time ago that Butlins should consider taking some ideas from the Subtropical Swimming Paradise, even if it was just to make their swimming pool buildings look more attractive like CP, rather than industrial units (I'm thinking of how ugly Bognor looks when viewed from the seafront). I also think an outdoor pool linked to the main pool (like they have at CP), complete with outdoor rapids, would be a big hit with Butlins guests. There is nothing that can beat soaking in a warm, bubbling outdoor pool in the dark with steam rising, whilst gazing up at the stars, and so far this experience has been unique to CP.

Alton towers also has an outdoor pool like the one you described, although it's only open till late afternoon. I've never been to a Centerparcs, but I'm sure it's a great holiday experience. However I don't think Butlin's should try to copy them. Butlin's has its own unique offer that's just as good but different.

No, they couldn't possibly copy CP as the two places are both so uniquely different ... one being in a forest setting, the other at a seaside resort, for starters. What I think Butlins is lacking, though, is a warm outdoor pool, perhaps linked to the main building, like CP have. Also, from what I have heard, Butlins could take a leaf out of CP's book and open Splash later. The pool at CP used to close at 10pm, though in the last few years has started closing at 9pm ... I am sure some Butlins holidaymakers would appreciate later opening.

The Following User Says Thank You to Bunnykins For This Useful Post:

The whole raison d'ętre to thsi thread was that it was not about what we think, precisely the opposite. You see, give-or-take, we know what we think, it's why WE are on this forum. I suggest some of you read it again.

Damn I failed, I thought I made the point well. The thread was about casting your mind back to what a child wants. How with only your child(ren) in mind (note the word 'only') you would make a few days in your child(ren)'s life a bit of paradise. In a bottle, why no parent in their right mind with only a focus on their child(ren) could even consider going pretty much anywhere else. [Without getting on a aircraft anyway, and note that word 'only' again., it IS the thread]

There might be good reason to go to Center Parcs et al, however, no good reason will be about your child(ren).

I mustn't be unfair, a good many of you clearly did get it.

As for the rest...

This, folks, is why I won't leave the house. There's no sanity out there. Now look what you've done. I've caught The Stupid by proxy.

Your original point has certainly not gone over my head. Last year, 2016, after we had booked at Butlins again for 2017, I was annoyed about aspects of the Butlins experience and said to my wife that maybe we should look for something different for 2018 and, unlike 2016, we didn't book 2018 the day after arriving. Our girls did complain about the possibility of not going back the following year and were having tremendous fun. Our 6 y/o gave me the biggest smile I have ever seen on her going down the rapids (blue water ride) at splash waterworld. So, we've booked for another year.

My own memories of holiday camps don't include Butlins as far as I know - we went to Pontins, both Hemsby and Pakefield IIRC, Warners at Dovercourt, Hollimarine, and maybe others. Looking back I am sure it was whatever had a good deal that year but as a child I wasn't concerned with that. I also barely remember the chalets, except they were all smaller than home, but as they were dry and provided somewhere to sleep I was content.. What I do remember was water play, whether it was the swimming pool or pedaloes on a boating lake. One holiday I think I spent most of the time doing one of these two things and I don't think it is any co-incidence we ended up in Splash for part of day on most days of the holiday we have just returned from. We also made quite a few visits to the fairground. The other memories I have are of the evening entertainment, talent shows, touring bands etc. and the smell of fish & chips when returning back to the chalet in the cool evening.

Yes, this discussion went off-point into issues of class and snobbery but maybe that's because those are not as clear cut as the original point.